Sport 4 a better World

Duration: Jan. 2021 to July 2022
Program: Erasmus KA2

Sport 4 a better World

Project background

According to recent statistical data (from Physical activity strategy for the WHO European Region 2016–2025), physical inactivity is one of the leading risk factors for health and is estimated to attribute to one million deaths (about 10 % of the total), per year in the WHO European Region. It is estimated that 63% of European citizens do not reach the minimum recommended level of physical activity. Only 40% of them claim that they do sport at least once a week.

Numerous studies show that physical activity has significant physical benefits, contributing to people’s ability to lead long and healthy lives, improving well-being, extending life expectancy, and reducing the likelihood of several major noncommunicable diseases, particularly heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers by 25-30%. It also educates people about the body, raising awareness, increasing motivation, and learning performance, respect for their bodies and those of others, critical for healthy living and the prevention of diseases. Data collected by the World Health Organisation indicates that over 5.3 million deaths each year are attributed to physical inactivity. This is more than from smoking.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has affected the EU and its Member States in a sudden and dramatic manner with an unprecedented impact on the health and daily life of European citizens. It has forced many people to stay at home and self-isolate for a period. In addition to its disastrous short and mid- term health impact (including inactivity, mental health risks linked to loneliness and anxiety), the pandemic will also have extraordinary long-term consequences on people’s daily lives, health, and generally on societies and many sectors of the economy, especially service sectors, e.g., tourism, food and accommodation services, transportation, and – sport. These unique circumstances, beyond all the harm and sadness they bring, are also an opportunity to innovate, to rethink policies and to reassess priorities in the long run. That’s why investing in sport and health enhancing physical activity is more important than ever. In order to achieve a sustainable, healthy Europe, sport and physical activity must be brought into the heart of all policies.

Aims & objectives

"Sports For a Better World" is a networking and innovation project for a global strategy to propose political and strategic actions in order to promote physical activity in Europe. The specific aims and objectives of the action are:

  • documenting the scale, costs and consequences of the physical activity crisis in Europe
  • raising awareness of the physical inactivity crisis to decision-makers
  • promoting physical activity for all as part of daily life
  • providing equal opportunities for physical activity regardless of gender, age, income, education, ethnicity or disability
  • removing barriers and facilitating physical activity
  • increase awareness of the importance of physical activity among key stakeholders
  • contribute to the achievement of optimal health for all people, the complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
  • strengthening partner organizations’ capacities to design and carry out health-enhancing physical activity initiatives
  • increasing people’s active participation into the local communities through developing their physical capabilities and inclination to personal effort, as well as social capabilities such as teamwork, solidarity, tolerance and fair play
  • developing, testing and exchanging new digital tools
  • developing practical guidance on how to organize and manage sporting events in order to empower people and make sport more inclusive and accessible

Coordinator:

  • HIS (Turkey)

Partners:

  • Kecioren Etlik Genclik ve Sport Kulubü (Turkey)
  • Göc Sanat ve Spor Dernegi (Turkey)
  • Spin Sport Innovation (Germany)
  • Asociacia za Razvitie na Bulgarskia Sport (Bulgaria)
  • Birzu Lengvosios Atletikos Sporto Klubas (Lithuania)
  • AICS (Italy)
  • CSIT